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How to Choose an Achievement Test

26 Feb 2014

Many parents have questions about which achievement test would best fit their students. There have been several factors to take into consideration, but today, there is a new one: Do you want the test to be aligned to the Common Core? If you do not want a test aligned to the Common Core, then choose a test that was designed and normed before 2009.

Below I have listed the tests according to the reasons people choose each test. (This list is not exhaustive but has the most common tests used in NC.) All of the tests mentioned meet NC yearly testing requirements as a nationally standardized achievement test.

Tests you can give at home that do not require a BA degree:Brigance (for developmentally seven years or younger)PASS Tests (Gr 3-8)—paperStanford-10 Online (Gr 3spring-12)—computer with immediate results, Note: You do not have to have a BA degree or training for the Stanford-10 Online because the testing center is proctoring the online test.TerraNova2 Complete Plus or Survey Plus (Gr K-12)—paper

Debbie Thompson (www.TriangleEd.com) is director at Triangle Education Assessments in Apex, NC, which helps thousands of homeschoolers each year with their achievement, cognitive, college credit, career and practice testing needs. For questions, email TEA at info@triangleed.com or call toll- free, (877) 843-8837.

Hi Carinda,
The Stanford10 Online is sold by a contracted distributor. Essentially you are "renting" the test like you rent the Stanford paper test. Just like you don't purchase (rent) the Stanford10 paper test directly from the publisher but get it from a distributor, homeschools can get the Stanford10 Online test from a distributor. The test doesn't stay on your computer. Each section of the test has to be approved by the test company, and when one section is completed, it disappears from your computer. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions. 877-843-8837

Michelle,
Common Core is an education initiative in the United States that details what K-12 students should know in English language arts and mathematics at the end of each grade. Though most states have adopted Common Core for their government schools, many people do not want government to tell us how to homeschool and what standards we should have or what curriculum we should use to match Common Core. You can google "Common Core" for more information.

Aligning your curriculum and testing to the Common Core can be helpful if you anticipate your child may be attending public school in the future. This will enable your homeschooled student to be on par with their public school peers.

If it is a requirement for homeschoolers to keep on file tests administered annually, & I chose the least expensive test Stanford 10 online, but they remove it from my computer just as soon as the test is completed, then what do I keep in my files for state inspection?

Hi Karen,
You will get the test results sent to you. The test results are what you keep on file. People do not keep an actual test on file - just the results. Please call me toll-free if you have more questions 877-843-8837. Debbie Thompson